Instrument for castrating, docking, and earmarking sheep, cattle, or horses.



7 PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

J. DIGNAN. INSTRUMENT FOR UASTRATING, DOGKING, AND EAR MARKING SHEEP,

CATTLE, OR HORSES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29, 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DIGNAN, OF AUCKLAND, NEIV ZEALAND.

INSTRUMENT FOR CASTRATING, DOCKING, AND EARMARKING SHEEP, CATTLE, ORHORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 795,205, dated July 18,1905.

Application filed December 29, 1904. Serial No. 238,800.

To It lull/07w it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES DIGNAN, a subject of His Majesty the King ofthe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident ofHobson street, in the city of Auckland, in the Provincial District ofAuckland and Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and usefulInstrument for Cast-rating, Docking, and Earmarking Sheep, Cattle, orHorses, of which the following is a specification.

This instrument is intended for use by farmers, run-holders,stock-holders, and others in all the operations of castration, docking,and earmarking. It is a combination-tool of snips with springs fixed,within the handle ends, having the snips inwardly sharpened and curved,with the outer edge of one of the snips sharpened to form a knife-edgeand having the ends of the snips projected at right angles, the innersides of the projections being suitably corrugated, and with a punchfitted inwardly to one of the handles.

Four figures are shown on the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1is a front view of the instrument opened out, showing the differentparts. Fig. 9. is a front view of the instrument closed. Fig. 3 is aside view of the instrument closed, showing the projecting clamps on endof snips at right angles; and Fig. A is a broken perspective view of theends of the snips and projecting clamps therefrom at right angles,showing the corrugations in one of the clamps.

The snips A and B are upper projections of the handles C and D, and theyare inwardly sharpened at A and B to form cutting-blades. The snip orblade A has an inwardly-flat surface and is broader than theinwardly-flat surface of the snip or blade B. It is also difierentlyshaped and projects beyond the blade B when closed, as is shown in Fig.2. The inner edges of both blades are curved from about the center ofthe instrument where pivoted to their inner points, as shown in Fig. 1.The outer edgeE of snip or blade A is sharpened to a knife-edge. Theouter points F and G of the snips A and B are turned and projected atright angles thereto for a length of about two inches to form clamps,and the ends M are turned'in to engage one another when closed. Theinner sides of the clamps F and G are corrugated so that thecorrugations of the one will fit into the grooves between thecorrugations of the other when closed. The point H of the snip A isturned outward slightly to facilitate the closing of the one blade ontothe other.

The spring J is provided within the handles C and D, which are inwardlyarched to suit the formation of the spring shown. The handles C and Dare hinged together in scissors form either by rivet or screw. At theend of either of the handles C and D a punch K is inwardly fixed, shapedas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, though this particular form need not beadhered to, as any suitable shape can be adopted. I

In use the outer knife-blade is used to cut the purse or any othersubstance. It may be more convenient to use it for and with younganimals. It may be used in place of the two inwardly-sharpened blades Aand B. In operating the clamps F and G are used instead of the teeth ofthe operator, and the ends M are turned inward to engage one another, soas to prevent the substances between the clamps slipping out frombetween them. The inner blades A and B on being closed together by thecompression of the handles C and D cut the substances placed betweenthem, and so complete the operation for which the instrument is designedand made. The punch K can be used for earmarking purposes by alsocompressing the handles, when a piece will be snipped out of the earplaced between the punch and the inner side of the opposite handle,which is suitably shaped for the purpose, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thecurving of the inner blades A and B makes the cutting efiect moreperfect and effective. A good etfect may be obtained by giving theseinner blades asaw formation, somewhat the same as is done with somebread-knives now in use.

Having fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secureby Letters Patent is A device of the character described, comprising apair of handles pivotally connected intermediate their ends and havingintegrallypro ecting blades said blades having inner their outer endsWith inwardly-extending IO i projections, said projections cooperatingin use to retain material between the clamp 1 members.

JAMES DIGNAN.

Witnesses:

Gnome WILLIAM BAsLeY, PERCY HERBERT BASLEY.

